Word is that former Governor Tom Vilsack is withdrawing from the presidential race. He is the third Democrat to bow to reality – Mark Warner and Evan Bayh abandoned their bids before they ever got off the ground – and he is unlikely to be the last on either side of the aisle. People forget that in the 2000 campaign, several candidates who were thought to be possible heavyweights – Liddy Dole and Dan Quayle among them – abandoned their early efforts.

In a campaign that has started earlier than ever, it’s no surprise that the ad campaign has begun earlier as well. Still, Mitt Romney’s ad in Iowa and New Hampshire (as well as a few other markets) this week – available here -- is a bit of a surprise. Since no voter in his right mind is paying attention to the race yet and in Iowa only caucus attendees vote anyway (a very small slice of the TV audience), one has to assume that these ads are really aimed at the media and party pros, in an attempt to convince them of the early viability of Romney’s candidacy.

This week's Tote Board discusses three more rules that govern presidential politics at http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid34275.aspx Incidentally, the rule about the advantages of having run before was well-illustrated yesterday at the Democratic forum held in Carson City, Nevada. The field is a strong one but John Edwards outshone his rivals.

For the last week, the political press hasn’t stopped discussing the merits of Congress’s non-binding resolution to oppose the Administration’s plans to send additional troops to Iraq. Yet the truth is that no matter what one’s opinion is about the direction of American foreign policy, the resolution was a disgrace. That’s because the resolution was, of course, non-binding.